Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Will Patten, former executive director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
[G]ov. Shumlin’s early retirement announcement has provided Vermonters with more than a year-long dialogue with those who want to replace him. John Margolis’ excellent piece in the Sept. 14 VTDigger suggests that all the candidates will claim to have solutions for Vermont’s sluggish economy, although the next governor will not have much of an impact on such a complicated problem.
I disagree with Margolis. I believe an effective governor can articulate and prioritize challenges and build consensus around solutions. But since none of the candidates are eager to come forward with their economic solutions, I’ve decided to post notice of what I will support and vote for.
The “economy” is nothing more than a means of measuring the successes and failures of people who have joined together to build businesses, companies, corporations large and small. Corporations are not people but they do consist of people who make decisions, take risks and hope for rewards. An investment in people is, therefore, an investment in our economy.
• Start at the beginning with pre-K and early childhood education. Regrettably and undeniably, our homes are not the nurturing, stimulating places they were in the old days. Mom and Dad work too much and we are all prone to EDA – electronic distraction addiction. Investment in early education will pay long-term benefits generation after generation.
Burlington is the case study for the link between investment in people and economic vitality.
• Then build safe, available and affordable multi-generational care facilities for children and seniors so that all the moms and dads that want to work are able to. Investment in these care facilities would quickly grow and sustain our much depleted Vermont workforce.
• Follow by providing free education at our state college system for motivated and qualified Vermont students who will commit to remaining in our state. It makes no sense to withhold access to life skills and job skills that our economy so desperately needs.
• Finally and most importantly, have the courage to means test every current state program. Start with incarceration policies and tax expenditures. When it is clear that we need to invest in people, it will be just as clear where we can find the funds to do so.
We’re all concerned about the economic vitality of our state with one exception, Burlington, which is lauded as one of the most livable, robust cities in the country. Since the 1980s political leaders in Burlington have invested in people: affordable housing, public access to the waterfront, people friendly shopping malls, small business incubation, recreation facilities, community health centers and more. Burlington is the case study for the link between investment in people and economic vitality.
Our choice is to either invest in the development, care and education of young people today or to fund ever-increasing budgets for the Agency of Human Services to cope with human crisis tomorrow.
